Razor blade and package



Dm l, 1,942. J. G. RoBERTs 2,303,763

RAZOR BLADE AND PACKAGE Filed Oct. 22, 1938 INVENTOR Patente-d Dec. 1, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT orifice RAZOR BLADE AND PACKAGE John G. Roberts, Dobbs Ferry, N. Y. Application October 22, 1938, Serial No. 236,417

(Cl. 20S-16) 4 claims.

This invention relates to a dispensing device for'safety razor blades. It is adapted to blades having generally rectangular contours. The blades may have longitudinally extending perforations and the embodiments of the invention herein disclosed are suitable for the dispensing of the topmost blade suiiiciently to permit edgewise engagement of that blade, the other member being rotatably attached to the rack and having a stop part overlying the surface of the topmost blade in all but one angular position.

In its preferred embodiment the stop part is of elongated shape to t within the blade perforation when adjusted to releasing position. Blades of one well known conventional type have cut out corners. be provided with several, usually four, upright pins which engage the blade edges within these cut outs. In one construction the base of the rack has a central threaded hole, which, when the blades are assembled upon it, is in line with the center of the blade perforations. `Registering with this hole is a post, which may be a screw threaded bolt, extending centrally through the perforations of all the blades in the pack and terminating at the top in an elongated head over which the blades are successively removable. In another construction the pack of blades itself functions as a nut for the bolt. In either of these constructions a slight turning of the blade pack to the head registering position for the topmost blade releases that blade, while retaining the remainder from separation, and at the same time lifts the pack the distance of one blade. The pack is well adapted to iit within a small box, which by virtue of the generally cylindrical shape of the pack, may be cylindrical also. Or the pack may be contained, if desired, in a box of any other type or shape, for example, one designed to cover both the blade pack and other shaving equipment.

In a further adaptation of the invention a special nut rotatable with the blade pack and its rack is provided to lift the pack. In another, the pack and rack are stationary and the bolt head serves as a thumb nut to be turned to release the blades and thus to descend gradually on the depleting pack.

In the drawing, all views are Fig. 1.

Figs. 1 to 5 illustrate one embodiment, Fig. l

enlarged except For such blades the rack mayl being a general view of a cylindrical box suitable as a container for the blade pack. Fig. 2 is a sectional view in elevation through the center of the package. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the assembly in section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan 'view in section on line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional view in elevation on line 5-5 of Fig. 3, showing the positions of the parts when all blades but one have been removed.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View of a novel razor blade formation, and one that is especially adaptable in the assembly of an alternative construction.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a special rack, which appears also in the assembly view, Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view illustrative of an assembly of blades such as the one illustrated in Fig. 6, and shown in section on line 8 -8 of Figs. 6 and 7.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a special nut, and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary View in sectional elevation of a further alternative construction.

According to Figs. 1 to 5, the blade pack is contained in a small cylindrical box closely conforming to its contents and is` cf sheet metal or other suitable material having a bottom part I and a removable coverl part 2. Atuthe center of the bottom part a bolt 3 is fixed by a rivet 4. The top of the b olt has an elongated head 5.0i such width and spread that it will retain all the blades of the pack 6, except that the Atopmost one is removable when the perforationl thereof is in line/with the head. The pack rests on a sheet metal base 8 of a rack, which has four upwardly extending pins 9 distributed around its circumference, apart. In manufacture these pins may be struck up from base material. A punched hole at the center of this rack base forms va collar I which is threaded to register with the threads of the bolt. When the package is ful] this collar touches, or nearly touches, a bossed part H of the bottom of the box. With but a single blade l2 remaining in 4the pack, as shown in Fig. 5, the rack is almost at vits top position.

The rack with its pins isadapted to hold the blades compactly but staggeredv or in full spiral array so that adjacent blade end s do not touch, thus leaving spaces for easy handling. The pins engage the shoulders formed by the blade end extensions I3. In assembling the device, the

nrst, or ioweremost, blade is held at two of its diametrically opposite shoulder points by one pair of pins. The next blade maythen, as shown in Fig. 4, register similarly with the other pair of pins, being thereby advanced in the spiral approximately 45. The third blade registers similarly with the last mentioned pair of pins and is likewise advanced 415 :from the second, etc. In this arrangement one half of the blades are actuo Vally staggered in two of the four'angular positions, and the other half are similarly staggered in the other two such positions. The entire pack, however, presents an array which is a complete spiral, thereby providing the space of three blades between adjacent blade ends.

With the cover 2 removed, the top blade portions of the next three appear as shown in Fig. 4. By applying finger and thumb to the blade extensions I3 of the topmost and turning it to the right, 45, so that the head 5 registers with the slot 1, the blade may be lifted along its holding pins. In this position of the head 5, the perforation of the next blade in line does not so register. The remaining blades in the pack are thus securely held from separation. The turning of the blade in the manner stated causes the rack toturn, and with it the entire pack, and, by reason of the screw thread on the bolt, the pack is lifted a distance equal to the thickness of one blade. Thus the topmost blade, at whatever stage of pack depletion, is always in the same location, and at the same level, i. e., just beneath the head.

In Fig. 6 a specially punched blade, and in Figs.

i 7 and 8, other details, of an alternative construction are shown. Here the blade pack 6a, itself, serves as a nut for the bolt 31a. The contour of the blade at the central enlargement I4 of the longitudinal blade perforation 'I is of sufficient circular size along the segments I5 to embrace without contacting the tops of the screw thread. Two diametrically opposite inward projections I6, however, are provided, which are of such extent that the blades at these points register with the screw thread. As the blades are arranged spirally the points I6 of the pack present a spiral array like the thread of a nut, and as there are two such points at each blade level, the spiral is double. A double thread on the bolt is cut accordingly. The generally circular contour of this central section of the blade perforation may be, and in Fig. 6 is shown as, further modified by notches II, of which eight are shown, and into the grooves thereby provided for the pack eight pins 9a (seeFig. '7) spaced 45 apart, of a modified rack are adapted to fit. With these notches, the `central enlargement of the blade perforation has the general contour of a gear. Although eight pins are preferable for the sake of greater rigidity, four spaced 90 apart would serve the purpose. The base 8a of the rack is like a washer resting under a shoulder I8 at the lower end of the bolt and above the bossed part I la of the box bottom la. The base 8a and pins 3a constituting the rack member may be' pressed from sheet metal in one piece with the pins each taking a L semicircular form and extending upwardly from the rim of the washer like base. A downward extension I9 of the bolt projects through the base 8a, thence through the part Ila and into al washer 4a. To the latter it is riveted and thereby rigidly fixed to the box. This rack has sufcient vertical play in its seat to permit free turning with the pack. The pins 9a likewise t loosely enough in the space provided by the indentations I'I between the blades and the bolt to permit freedom of movement, as the pack is lifting.

Nut 20, shown in Fig. 9, may be used in place of the array of blade projections I6. It is adapted to embrace the rack from outside the pins 9a and to extend inwardly therebetween, as at 2l, where it is threaded for engagement with the bolt. When used, it is placed below the pack and above the base 8a of the rack.

A simplified embodiment suitable for a small package of blades, is illustrated in Fig. 10 wherein a screw threaded bolt 3b positioned within the enlargedcentral perforations of the blade pack 6b is secured directly to the base 8b of the rack, which in this construction may serve also as the bottom of the box. Here the head 5b is in the form of a thumb nut. The construction issuch that the blade pack and rack remain stationary and the nut instead is turned to sucessive blade removal positions. In so turning it moves downwardly to its nal position just above the lowermost blade 22.

I claim: 1. In combination, a compact stack of razor blades of a type having recessed corner portions and a centrally positioned slot, regularly arranged in angularly displaced horizontal positions, a dispensing device for said stack comprising twomembers, one of which is a blade holding rack having a base part on which the stack rests and a series of circumferentially disposed upright parts supported on said base part and abutting'the blade edges at said recessed corner portions to hold the blades from relative angular displacement, the other of which members being a blade removal regulator rotatably attached to said rack and including a stop part centrally supported above the topmost blade ofthe stack `and ofelongated shape to nt within the blade slot, `to permit theblades to be lifted from said rack one by one upon successive relative angular movements of the said two members, said dispensing device having means for advancing said two members in a vertical direction relative to one another as the blades are successively removed to maintain said stop part in a position close to the topmost blade remaining in the stack.

2. The combination in accordance with claim l in which the said stop part is xed to and supported by a base plate below the said base part of said rack.

3. A dispensing device holding safety razor blades, said device comprising two members, one of which is a rack having a base part and a series of circumferentially disposed upright parts spaced apart upon said base part in position to abut the blades at certain edges thereof and thereby to hold the blades against relative angular displacement, said rack being open longitudinally adjacenttheends of the topmost blade to permit finger holding engagement with said blade for lifting it flatwise from the stack, the said Yblades being stacked flatwise on said base part 'with successive blades held in different angular positions by said upright parts, the other of said members being a blade releasing regulator rotatably attached to said rack and overlying the Asurface of said topmost blade in all but one angular position relative to said blade.

4. A razor blade dispensing device, comprising a rack for holding a blade stack flatwise, said rack having pairs of upright guideA parts for retaining successive blades in relatively displaced angular positions, said guide parts being open longitudinally adjacent the ends of the topmost blade to permit finger holding engagement with said bladek for lifting it flatwise from the stack, and blade releasing means rotatably attached to said rack having a stop part overlying the surface of said topmost blade in all but one angular position relative to said blade.

JOHN G. ROBERTS. 

